Muhammad Khalil, a human rights lawyer in Syria, said: "The regime is doing this for two reasons – to directly get rid of the rebels and activists, and to intimidate the society so that it won't oppose the regime."

Bahrain

150,000 Syrian refugees in Egypt

The number of Syrians taking refuge in Egypt now tops 150,000 – a significant increase on last month's figure of 95,000, the UN refugee agency said today.

The director of UNHCR in Egypt, Mohamed Dayri, said that despite the growing number of refugees in Egypt, only 4,800 Syrians have registered with the agency in Cairo. He called on Egyptian authorities to help UNHCR deal with the "rising emergency" of Syrian refugees in the country.

Several factors are thought to lie behind the increase. One is that the number of refugees in countries neighbouring Syria is reaching saturation point. Syrian refugees may also find Egypt an easier destination since the cost of living is relatively low and they do not need a visa to enter.

3.03pm BST

BBC complains of Middle East interference

The BBC says there is intermittent – but deliberate – interference with its broadcasts to Europe and the Middle East. It is not clear who is interfering and if the BBC has suspicions about the culprits it isn't saying.

The BBC, together with a number of other broadcasters, is experiencing deliberate, intermittent interference to its transmissions to audiences in Europe and the Middle East.

Impacted services include the BBC World News and BBC Arabic television channels and BBC World Service radio services in English and Arabic.

Deliberate interference such as the jamming of transmissions is a blatant violation of international regulations concerning the use of satellites and we strongly condemn any practice designed to disrupt audiences’ free access to news and information.

'Ten dead' in Bani Walid fighting

George Grant of the Libya Herald has an update on the fighting in Bani Walid:

At least ten people have been killed and scores more wounded following an attack on Bani Walid from three separate fronts launched yesterday.

Conflicting reports have emerged this morning as to whether the attacking forces succeeded in entering the town at any point, but Bani Walid residents say that the town has not yet fallen.

“They are trying to enter the town; they have not succeeded yet but they are coming,” said Taha Mohammed, a doctor at Bani Walid general hospital.

The deputy director of the hospital, Abdullah Al-Mansuri, told AFP that seven had died and 75 had been wounded in the fighting.

It is also reported that four members of the Libya Shield brigade have been killed, and 19 wounded. It is not known from which of the three fronts the Shield casualties came.

Yesterday, the army’s spokesman, Colonel Ali Al-Sheikhi, denied claims that the assault had been officially authorised, saying “we gave no order to attack”.

Updated at 3.17pm BST

1.52pm BST

Brahimi 'working on comprehensive peace plan'

Lakhdar Brahimi, the international envoy on Syria who met the Jordanian foreign minister in Amman this morning, has confirmed that he will go to Syria in the next few days, Reuters reports.

"Yes I am going to Syria. This appeal we made to our Syrian brothers, whether in the government or against the government, to stop fighting in the three or four days of the Eid next week," Brahimi said ...

The truce would be self-imposed with no monitoring.

"This is an appeal to the Syrians themselves that they stop fighting and observe it themselves. This is not the political process or the solution required to the Syrian crisis," Brahimi added ...

Brahimi's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said the envoy, a veteran Algerian diplomat, was working on a new, comprehensive peace plan.

"It's difficult to put a timeline on it but it's all coming together. He has completed the circle with this tour of neighbouring countries. He needs to go now to the outer circle, to Moscow and China, and look them in the eye and say this will not work unless you support it," Fawzi said.

Muhammad Khalil, a human rights lawyer in Syria, said: "The regime is doing this for two reasons – to directly get rid of the rebels and activists, and to intimidate the society so that it won't oppose the regime."

Bahrain

Bahrain's king 'defamed' on Twitter

Four men who were arrested in Bahrain yesterday for "misuse of social media" have now been charged with defaming the king on Twitter. Their computers have also been confiscated, Reuters reports.

Criticising King Hamad and other members of the Al Khalifa ruling family is a red line in the Gulf island kingdom.

Bahrain's public prosecution office had questioned four defendants and charged them with the "crime of insulting his majesty the king on their personal accounts on Twitter," prosecutor Ahmed Bucheeri said on Wednesday, according to BNA [the state news agency].

The defendants, who have been detained for a week, will face "an urgent trial before the criminal court", he said, but no date has been given ...

Last month, Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of an imprisoned Bahraini activist, was jailed for two months for damaging public property in a police station, which included a picture of King Hamad, the government's information authority said.

Khawaja's lawyer said her sentence was handed down for tearing up a picture of the king.

In July, prominent protest leader Nabeel Rajab was sentenced to three months in jail over a tweet against the prime minister, a member of the ruling family, which the court said insulted Bahrainis. He was later acquitted on appeal.

There is now a Twitter hashtag #kingstornpics where people are posting torn pictures of the king (among other things).

Tlass 'should form a Champs-Elysées Brigade'

Defected Syrian general Manaf Tlass "wants to show himself as Rambo", Adnan al-Shama'a, co-ordinator of the military councils in Syria, told the Guardian today. Speaking to our colleague Mona Mahmood from a mobile phone, he poured scorn on the idea that Tlass might take on a combat role with the rebel fighters.

It is really funny. He does not have any popularity or supporters inside Syria. He wants to show himself as Rambo, though he has done nothing on the ground. He was Bashar's friend and then he decided to defect.

He disappeared for two weeks and then showed up to declare his defection – which in reality is fleeing more than defecting. When he appeared on al-Arabiya TV channel he did not bother to put the flag of the Syrian revolution behind him and did not dare to say one word in criticism of Bashar al-Assad.

Manaf Tlass is a son of a minister of defence and a friend of a criminal [Assad] – which is not a merit but a stain. People inside Syria do not accept him. Those officers who defect from the regime do not have the right to tell the command of the revolution who is to be the leader. It is the command itself who decides.

It is a sinking ship and everyone is trying to jump off. He wants people to be grateful to him for his fleeing. It would be better for him to form a Champs-Elysées Brigade in Paris.

His home town is Rastan but no one in Rastan is in favour of him. These people still can't understand that this is not a coup but a people's revolution and they have to forget about what positions they can get.

'Pipelines attacked' in north-east Syria

Rebels have blown up two oil and gas pipelines in the north-east of Syria near the Iraqi border, AP reports citing the government news agency, Sana.

Sana says the attack hit one oil and one gas pipeline Thursday near the city of Deir Ezzour. The pipelines ran between Deir Ezzour and the city of Palmyra in central Syria.

Anti-regime activists posted a video online purporting to show the blast site, with thick smoke billowing into the sky. The video could not be independently verified.

Sana quoted an oil ministry official saying the lines were immediately shut off, the fires were extinguished and repairs would begin soon.

Updated at 11.34am BST

10.53am BST

Forced disappearances: two case histories

Here is a link to the Avaaz press release about forced disappearances in Syria. It includes accounts from relatives of several people who disappeared. Here are a couple of them:

Amer Abdullah

Amer Abdullah, 32, is from Sinjar near the city of Ma’arat al Numan in the province of Idlib. His brother Hisham told Avaaz: "My brother was just a farmer before the beginning of the revolution. With the beginning of the demonstrations in our area, the security forces stifled us, denying access to basic supplies that we cannot live without, specifically oil fuel that we use for heating. My brother contributed to bringing fuel oil from several fuel stations to be distributed to the residents.

"On February 18, 2012, and while heading to a fuel station to bring fuel oil, he passed a military checkpoint in the area of Wadi al Daif, east to the city of Ma’arat al Numan, and was arrested there. Since then, we do not know anything about him except for news from recently released detainees. We last heard about him 3 months ago, we were told that he was in the prison of Mazzeh, physically weak and that he lost a lot of weight. We still don’t know in which security branch he is being held. We did not dare to go and ask about him for fear of being arrested.”

Anas al-Shaghri

Anas al-Shaghri is 23 and a nonviolent protester who was disappeared in a rural area of Banyas shortly after the protests in the town began. His sister said: "On the 14th of May, 2011, my brother was arrested and handed over after midnight by someone he trusted. He was supposed to meet him to change his place of hiding. When we contacted this person he told us: ‘Yes, I handed Anas over myself.’ Since then we have not heard any news from my brother, except for some information that he was in Branch 291 State Security in Damascus. We heard that through one of the recently released detainees. He also told us that Anas was in solitary confinement and was subjected to severe torture. This left me in a state of fear and horror over my brother to the point where I cried every day just imagining what could have happened to him.

"Every time we ask about Anas they deny that he was detained in one of their security branches. We hired a lawyer for this matter but to no avail. What made Anas’s case unique is that he was one of the first to call for peaceful demonstrations in Banyas. He used his friendships and his strong charismatic personality to incite demonstrations. Anas was also one of the most active media spokesmen in the city of Banyas, he was in constant contact with various news outlets; this made the security forces and Shabiha more resentful and hateful towards him."

Updated at 11.33am BST

10.03am BST

Yemen explosions blamed on electrical fault

Here is another – very dramatic – picture showing multiple explosions in the Yemeni capital.

Regime newspaper praises Brahimi

In Syria, the ruling party's newspaper, al-Baath, seems to be taking a favourable view of Lakhdar Brahimi's diplomatic efforts.

The Herald Sun quotes the paper as saying he is "making a thorough and prudent effort to overcome the obstacles [in implementing] a diplomacy of small steps".

It also says Brahimi has focused his efforts on "convincing all parties to accept a temporary and limited objective as a first step towards a solution, and as a litmus test of all parties' intentions".

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry spokesman says Brahimi will meet foreign minister Walid Muallem in Damascus on Saturday – but so far there has been no mention of a meeting with President Assad.

UK eases rules for Syrian visitors

The UK Border Agency has announced a relaxation of the rules for Syrians with temporary permits to stay in Britain.

If you are a Syrian national and your permission to stay in the UK (leave to remain) is about to expire, or has expired in the last 28 days, and you wish to stay in the UK there are now some new options available to you. This concession applies only until 15 March 2013.

If you are here on a visa for a limited period you can ask for this to be extended for the same length of time as you were originally granted. For example, if you have a six-month visit visa you may be given permission to stay for a further six months.

8.53am BST

Summary

Welcome to Middle East live. Here is a roundup of the latest developments.

The online campaign organisation Avaaz, which has been involved in gathering evidence, says it plans to hand over a dossier to the UN human rights council for investigation.

Muhammad Khalil, a human rights lawyer in Syria is quoted as saying: "The regime is doing this for two reasons – to directly get rid of the rebels and activists, and to intimidate the society so that it won't oppose the regime."

Such illusions are no longer possible. The reality of war has crept into daily life, and there is a sense of inevitability. Even supporters of the government talk about what comes next, and rebels speak of tightening the noose around this city, their ultimate goal.

Damascus was once known for its all-night party scene. Now, few people venture out after dark, and kidnappings are rampant. Gasoline is increasingly scarce, and as winter approaches, people are worried about shortages of food and heating oil.

Streets are closed at a moment’s notice, traffic diverted, bridges shut down. Even longtime residents and taxi drivers get lost and have to weave in and out of parking lots to avoid barriers and dead-end streets. Shelling and machine-gun fire are so commonplace, children no longer react.